Nature Atlas

How Nature Works
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme
Taxa

Lycalopex

Mammal Genera

Lycalopex, commonly called the South American foxes or zorros, is a genus of canid native to South America; despite the name, its members are not true foxes but a distinct lineage more closely related to wolves and jackals, with some species resembling foxes through convergent evolution. The South American gray fox, Lycalopex griseus, is the most common and best known species, historically valued for its russet-fringed pelt. The genus fossil record extends back roughly 2 to 2.5 million years to the mid to late Pliocene, and its species were long placed in the genus Dusicyon before being reclassified into Lycalopex, via the synonym Pseudalopex, by Langguth in 1975.

Facts
Taxonomic Rank
Genus 2
Member Count Band
Under 10 Species 3
Era First Appeared
Neogene 4
Classification
Living or Extinct
Yes 1
Connections

Child Taxon Of

Canidae, Taxa
Source Wikipedia: South American fox

Parent Taxon Of

Culpeo, Species
Source Culpeo (Wikipedia)
Darwin's fox, Species
Source Darwin's fox (Wikipedia)
Hoary fox, Species
Source Hoary fox (Wikipedia)
Pampas fox, Species
Source Pampas fox (Wikipedia)
Sechuran fox, Species
Source Sechuran fox (Wikipedia)
Source South American gray fox (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases

Found In

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Sources
1. South American fox (Wikipedia)
a genus inhabiting South AmericaView the Source
2. Wikipedia: South American fox
  • Taxonomic rank (Wikipedia confirms the entity; rank from slug/structure-wave classification)
  • Child Taxon Of: Canidae, Lead
    but are a unique canid genus more closely related to wolves and jackals than to true foxes
View the Source
3. Catalogue of Life (ChecklistBank): Taxon metrics for Lycalopex
Catalogue of Life (ChecklistBank)Taxon metrics, speciesExtantCount
Quote, Taxon metrics, speciesExtantCount
"speciesExtantCount": 6
View the Source
4. Paleobiology Database: Taxon record for Lycalopex
Paleobiology DatabaseTaxon record, first appearance (firstapp_max_ma, early_interval)
Quote, Taxon record, first appearance (firstapp_max_ma, early_interval)
"taxon_name": "Lycalopex" ... "firstapp_max_ma": 23.04 ... "early_interval": "Aquitanian"
View the Source
Wikidata: Lycalopex
Wikidata Q132687, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
Hoary fox (Wikipedia)
Parent Taxon Of: Hoary fox, Lead, genus
Quote, Parent Taxon Of: Hoary fox, Lead, genus
The hoary fox or hoary zorro (Lycalopex vetulus), also known as raposinha-do-campo in Brazil (Portuguese for "little fox of the meadow"), is a species of zorro or "false" fox endemic to Brazil.
View the Source
Culpeo (Wikipedia)
Parent Taxon Of: Culpeo, Lead, genus
Quote, Parent Taxon Of: Culpeo, Lead, genus
The culpeo (Lycalopex culpaeus), also known as Culpeo zorro, Andean zorro, Andean fox, Paramo wolf, Andean wolf, and colpeo fox, is a species of South American fox.
View the Source
Pampas fox (Wikipedia)
Parent Taxon Of: Pampas fox, Lead, genus
Quote, Parent Taxon Of: Pampas fox, Lead, genus
is a medium-sized zorro, or "false" fox, native to the South American Pampas
View the Source
Sechuran fox (Wikipedia)
Parent Taxon Of: Sechuran fox, Lead, genus
Quote, Parent Taxon Of: Sechuran fox, Lead, genus
The Sechuran fox (Lycalopex sechurae), also called the Peruvian desert fox or the Sechuran zorro, is a small South American species of canid closely related to other South American "false" foxes or zorro.
View the Source
South American gray fox (Wikipedia)
Parent Taxon Of: South American gray fox, Lead, genus
Quote, Parent Taxon Of: South American gray fox, Lead, genus
The South American gray fox (Lycalopex griseus), also known as the Patagonian fox, the chilla or zorro gris (gray fox or gray zorro), is a South American species of Lycalopex (the "false" or lesser foxes) in the Canidae family
View the Source
Darwin's fox (Wikipedia)
Parent Taxon Of: Darwin's fox, Lead, genus
Quote, Parent Taxon Of: Darwin's fox, Lead, genus
Darwin's fox or Darwin's zorro (Lycalopex fulvipes) is an endangered canid from the genus Lycalopex
View the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.